Undergarment



March 19, 1940.

H. L.- JASPER UNDERgARuENT Filed July 31, 1939 INVENTOR HALLIE LEE JASPER ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs UNDERGABLIENT Hallie Lee Jasper, Bridgeport, Conn., asignor to The La Resista Corset Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application July 31, 1939, Serial No. 287,609

zcmms.

* slip, or in a modified form of the invention to combine the functions of a girdle and skirt. It

is an object to provide a garment which while being body conforming and molding will at the same time give complete freedom of movement in walking and sitting, and will provide an under-garment for use beneath light-weight .dresses which will be entirely free in the front and back from transverse seams, ridges or overlaps. To this end it is proposed to provide front and back panels which extend in unbroken lines for the full vertical length of the garment. I am aware that garments have been proposed heretofore in which it was attempted to combine the functions of brassiere, girdle and slip, but in these the skirt extension was simply secured to the lower end of a girdle section providing a seam and overlap either extending entirely about the garment or across either the front or rear panels. This not only resulted in discomfort and a failure to obtain a continuous form to and mold the body, drawing in the up-' per brassiere portion of the garment, fitting into the waistline and cupping in at the sides and rear below the hips. It is a further object to provide a garment in which garters are incorporated and positioned at such points that the strain thereon will not disturb the fit of the garment or impose uncomfortable strains upon the wearer. It is further proposed to provide in the front and rear panels reinforcing lining portions localized with respect to and adapted to overlie the central portion of the diaphragm and abdomen and the central portion of the lower back, so that there will be substantial support- 50 of the body at these points, and the garmen will present a smooth appearance.

Another object is to provide a garment par-' ticularly for use with sheer summer dresses or evening dresses, which while being relatively thin, light weight, and body conforming will at fastening ,means partially opened.

the same time provide a relatively opaque under skirt thereby making the combined under-garment and outer dress shadow proof. It is further proposed to provide a garment of simple construction free from overlapping lining por- 5 tions, so that the same maybe conveniently laundered and will dry rapidly.

With the above and other objectsin view, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, and this embodiment 10 will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front plan view of a garment, ac- 15 cording to the invention, the same being shown flattened out.

Fig. 2 is a rear plan view, and showing the v Fig. 3 is a perspective view from the front showing the garment as worn.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view from the rear showing the garment as worn.

' Fig. 5 is a perspective view, from the rear of a modified form of the invention, the upper line of the garment being at the waistline.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. 1

Referring to the drawing the under-garment, according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing, comprises a front portion consisting of suitably shaped brassiere portions Ill-Ill, and a front panel ll formed of two half sections stitched along the central vertical seam l2, the upper edge of the front panel being shaped to extend between the brassiere portions ill-i0, as at l3, and to extend along the outer side of the brassiere portions, as at ll-ll. The side edges of the front panel are slightly. curved in along the waist section and flare outwardly along the hip and skirt sections. Upon the inner side of the front panel and in proximity to the diaphragm and abdomen engaging portions there is provided a lining member ii of vertically elongated diamond shape, secured by stitching l6. Between the upper point of this lining member and the brassiere sections there is provided upon the outer surface a decorative panel I'I secured by stitching l8, and which is preferably formed of the same material as the brassiere sections. The-two half-sections'of the front panel each consist of vertically continuous and unitary upper and skirt portions, so that they form' a con- 56 tinuous smooth contour, unbroken by transverse seams or different material textures in the upper and skirt portions.

The side sections of the garment comprise upper side portions iB-IS formed of horizontally stretchable elastic fabric which are secured to the outer edges of the front panel by rows of stitching 20-40, and extend from the upper edge of the side portion 14- to a point below the widest point of the hip line, the lower edges of the elastic side portions being cut diagonally downward from the side edges of the front panel, so that at the rear portion of the garment the elastic side portions extend in snug confining relation below the rear hip portions. To the lower inclined edges of the elastic side portions l9 there are respectively secured side skirt portions 2| formed of the same materialas the front panel and cut to flare outwardly, the upper edges of these side skirt portions being secured by stitching 22 to form transverse seams and the forward side edges being secured by continuation of the stitching 20.

The rearward edges of the elastic side portions are shaped so that at the upper portion they will form outwardly curved convex lines, at the waist portion will form inwardly curved concave lines, and below the waist portion they will form outwardly curved concave lines, the rearward edges of the side skirt portions 2| being formed in a continuous line with the lower extremities of the elastic side portions l9.

The back panel 23 of the garment is formed in substantially similar manner to the front panel of two half-sections secured by a central vertical seam 24 and these sections extend continuously in unbroken lines from the upper edge of the back to the lower edge of the garment, being secured at their outer edges to the elastic side portions I9 and the skirt portions 2| by continuous lines of stitching 25-25. In the assembled relation of the parts the ends of the transverse seams 22 of each side section are transversely opposite to vertically unbroken seamless portions of the front and back panel sections. An opening is provided along the central seam extending from the upper edge to a point contiguous to the waistline and is provided with pairs of hooks and eyes 26 and 21 secured upon tape portions 28 and 29 stitched to the underside. of the back portion, and with a zipper fastener, the respective sides 30 and 3| of which are secured to the two edges of the opening and adapted to be secured by a slide member 32.

Upon the inner side of the back portion and at a point extending from the zipper fastened opening to a point below the hip line there is provided a lining panel 33 of vertically elongated diamond-shape secured by stitching 34. The back panel is provided with fullness in the region of the waist which allows the garment to conform to the body under tension of the elastic side portions, and the lower portion is also provided with fullness to allow for the flare of the skirt.

Upon the inner surface of the front panel ii and the side portions l9 there are secured garters 5 35, a pair at the front and two pairs at the rear. Shoulder straps 36-36 are secured between the brassiere sections and the pack panel. The garment illustrated is for use with short dresses, that is, knee length or slightly below knee length, but it will be understood that the skirt portion may be of any suitable length, and'in the case of an evening gown for instance may be substantially floor length.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modification in which the invention combines the functions of a girdle and skirt. In this case the upper line of the garment is at the waistline, the arrangement of the front panel, the elastic side portions, the side skirt portions, and the rear panel being otherwise substantially similar to these portions in the first embodiment. The parts are therefore given the same reference characters as the corresponding parts of the first embodiment.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A skirted foundation under-garment, comprising a pair of side sections, each consisting of an upper horizontally stretchable elastic portion extending from the upper edge of the garment to a point below the widest point of the hip line and a lower non-elastic side skirt portion secured by a transverse seam to the lower edge of said elastic portion, the forward and rearward side edges of the upper elastic portions of said side sections being vertically continuous with the forward and rearward side edges of the lower skirt portions, and front and back non-elastic panel sections having vertically continuous side edges substantially co-extensive with and secured to the respective forward and rearward side edges of said side sections, said transverse seam of each of said side sections having its ends transversely opposite to vertically unbroken seamless portions of said front and back panel sections, the part of said garment in lateral line with said elastic side portions being body-conforming and the part below said elastic side portions constituting a non-bodyconforming skirt portion.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that said transverse seam at each side being diagonally disposed and inclineddownwardly from front to back.

HALLIE LEE JASPER. 

